SaberForge light sabersmith prop company

Updated on November 21, 2010

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The man behind the company

I remember at a young age watching
the Star Wars movies, shows like Thundar the Barbarian, and the one thing which
always stood out to me were their swords. Every time Thundar would pull the
hilt off of his bracer and the fiery blade would extend, and the little
barbarian inside me would give a mighty war cry. Sun Swords, Laser Sabers,
Laser Swords whatever you call them, one thing will never change, holding a
weapon which can cut through anything makes you the immediate winner. For
Phillip Isherwood, owner and creator of Saberforge.com, these types of
feelings, and others, prompted him to create the Sci Fi Laser Sword prop
company Saber Forge.

At
the age of 14 Phillip started making his first laser sword with chrome piping
and spare parts from Home Depot. His love for the laser sword came at a time
when you could not run down to the local Walmart and buy high quality sabers of
the kind today. His initial swords may not have been up to the same quality as
he is putting out now, but it was an opportunity for him to hold a piece of the
fantasy in his hands. “…when you read about the wonders of imagined technology
there’s a certain sense of longing,” says Isherwood, “Reading a book, or
watching a movie only gets you so far, at a certain point you want to hold one
of these creations in your hand. Somehow
making the fantasy real.”

The
fantasy for him started to become a reality after he got his first mini lathe.
In a spare room he would sit and work on his creations. Fueling him was the
driving desire to hold the fantasy, to turn the lights down low and practice
fighting the hordes coming against him. Along the way, his skill was noticed by
some of his friends who also wanted an opportunity to hold the fantasy. Then
friends of friends started coming, and before Greedo could pull the trigger
what started as a hobby/side business in a small room, grew to a thriving
internet company with his own shop, cnc and full sized equipment.

For
the past three years, under the banner of Saber Forge, Phillip has had the
opportunity to see his creativity stretched, and be at the forefront of the
developing Saber Enthusiast hobby. From the hardest custom job, (a set of
double bladed tonfas) to the weird, (a non matching saber staff with a claymore
blade at one end and dagger at the other) it has been his joy to be able to
work in an industry and culture that encompasses his lifestyle. “My favorite
saber is the modified epoch… it’s just so sleak and sexy,” says Phillip. He is
constantly testing himself, constantly reaching to bring tangibility to the
fantasy, even now challenging himself to create a Grim Reaper’s laser weapon
from Gundam, a favorite fantasy weapon of his.

For
most companies, you are dealing with people whose sole desire is profit. Their
main concern is the bottom line, but with Phillip Isherwood, this is his life.
He does not set out to make something cost effective, something he can make
really cheap and mark up in sales. Instead, he looks to make works of art and
beauty, truly elegant weapons for elegant times. “Our entry level metal sabers
have equisite lines, are brighter, and come with a much higher quality thicker
dueling blade”, Phillip says proudly. He understands the geek culture because
he is immersed in it himself. When Phillip’s not making sabers, he is reading a
new book or working on his own short stories. “I have always been an avid
science fiction fan, books, movies, comic books, basically anything I could get
my hands on. I had a ravenous appetite for it,” says Isherwood. It is this
enthusiasm which has filled Phillip with pride and love for his work.

Love
for a culture which only seems to be growing larger and larger every year.
“…the idea of the light sword has been around for thousands of years. And more
recently the laser sword has been seen in pop culture books, and movies, dating
from the 20's,” says Phillip, “I don't think its going anywhere, if anything
with the added popularity of Japanese animation which features numerous
examples of laser swords, its just going to keep growing.” You can be sure as
technology grows, the Saber Enthusiast groups numbers swell, Phillip Isherwood
and his company will be there at the forefront, providing the artistic outlet
for the growing fans.

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SABER FORGE - CUSTOM SABERS - Welcome!!!, SaberForge is your source for the best and brightest custom made LED light sabers. We offer a full line of prebuilt duel worthy sabers, and take custom commissions.